Portable electronic device with interface reconfiguration mode

ABSTRACT

A portable electronic device displays a plurality of icons (e.g., graphical objects) in a region in a touch-sensitive display; detects a predefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, for initiating a predefined user interface reconfiguration process; and varies positions of one or more icons in the plurality of icons in response to detecting the predefined user action. The varying includes varying the positions of the one or more icons about respective average positions.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 60/755,368, filed Dec. 30, 2005, entitled “Portable ElectronicDevice with Interface Reconfiguration Mode,” which application isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosed embodiments relate to user interfaces, and in particular,to user interfaces that use touch-sensitive displays and include aninterface reconfiguration mode.

BACKGROUND

As portable devices become more compact, and the amount of informationto be processed and stored increases, it has become a significantchallenge to design a user interface that allows users to easilyinteract with the device. This is unfortunate since the user interfaceis the gateway through which users receive not only content but alsoresponses to user actions or behaviors, including user attempts toaccess a device's features or tools. Some portable electronic devices(e.g., mobile phones) have resorted to adding more pushbuttons,overloading the functions of pushbuttons, or using complex menu systemsto allow a user to access, store and manipulate data. These conventionaluser interfaces often result in complicated key sequences and menuhierarchies that must be memorized by the user.

Many conventional user interfaces, such as those that include physicalpushbuttons, are also inflexible. This is unfortunate because it mayprevent a user interface from being configured and/or adapted by eitheran application running on the portable device or by users. When coupledwith the time consuming requirement to memorize multiple key sequencesand/or menu hierarchies, such inflexibility is frustrating to manyusers.

Some conventional user interfaces can be configured by users, therebyallowing at least partial customization. Unfortunately, the process ofmodifying such conventional user interfaces is often as cumbersome andcomplicated as the use of the conventional user interface itself. Inparticular, the required behaviors during configuration of suchconventional user interfaces are often counter intuitive and thecorresponding indicators guiding user actions are often difficult tounderstand. These challenges are often a source of additionalfrustration for users.

Accordingly, there is a need for a more transparent and intuitive userinterfaces for portable devices that enable a user to configure the userinterface.

SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS

The above deficiencies and other problems associated with userinterfaces for portable devices are reduced or eliminated by thedisclosed portable electronic device, which includes an interfacereconfiguration mode that intuitively allows a user to repositiondisplayed graphical objects.

One aspect of the invention is a method in which a portable electronicdevice displays a first plurality of icons (e.g., graphical objects) ina first region in a touch-sensitive display; detects a first predefineduser action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, for initiatinga predefined user interface reconfiguration process; and variespositions of one or more icons in the first plurality of icons inresponse to detecting the first predefined user action. The varyingincludes varying the positions of the one or more icons about respectiveaverage positions.

The varying may include animating the one or more icons to simulatefloating of the one or more icons on a surface corresponding to asurface of the touch-sensitive display.

The varying position of a respective icon in the one or more icons maycorrespond to an equation of motion in a plane substantially coincidentwith the touch-sensitive display. The equation of motion may have acoefficient of friction less than a threshold, a non-zero initialvelocity for the respective icon, a non-zero angular velocity, and/or arestoring force about the respective average position of the respectiveicon such that the position of the respective icon oscillates in aregion substantially centered on the respective average position of therespective icon. In some embodiments, the respective icon rotates aboutthe respective average position of the respective icon while maintaininga fixed orientation with respect to the touch-sensitive display.

In some embodiments, the method further includes: detecting a usermaking a point of contact with the touch-sensitive display at a firstposition corresponding to a first icon in the one or more icons anddetecting movement of the point of contact to a second position of thetouch-sensitive display; and responding to detecting the point ofcontact and detecting movement of the point of contact by displayingmovement of the first icon to the second position of the touch-sensitivedisplay, and displaying the first icon at the second position.

A second icon in the one or more icons may be moved from a respectiveinitial position to a respective new position when the second positionof the first icon at least partially overlaps with the respectiveinitial position of the second icon. The position of the first icon maybe fixed at the second position in response to detecting a secondpredefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, forterminating the predefined user interface reconfiguration process.

The aforementioned methods may be performed by a portable electronicdevice having a touch-sensitive display with a graphical user interface(GUI), one or more processors, memory and one or more modules, programsor sets of instructions stored in the memory for performing thesemethods. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device provides aplurality of functions, including wireless communication.

Instructions for performing the aforementioned methods may be includedin a computer program product configured for execution by one or moreprocessors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the aforementioned embodiments of theinvention as well as additional embodiments thereof, reference should bemade to the Description of Embodiments below, in conjunction with thefollowing drawings in which like reference numerals refer tocorresponding parts throughout the figures.

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a position adjustmentprocess for a portable electronic device.

FIG. 2A is an illustration of one embodiment of a portable electronicdevice responsive to touch input for adjustment of the position of oneor more icons.

FIG. 2B is an illustration of one embodiment of a portable electronicdevice responsive to touch input for adjustment of the position of oneor more icons.

FIG. 2C is an illustration of one embodiment of a portable electronicdevice responsive to touch input for adjustment of the position of oneor more icons.

FIG. 2D is an illustration of one embodiment of a portable electronicdevice responsive to touch input for adjustment of the position of oneor more icons.

FIG. 2E is an illustration of one embodiment of a portable electronicdevice responsive to touch input for adjustment of the position of oneor more icons.

FIG. 3A is an illustration of one embodiment of a portable electronicdevice responsive to touch input for adjustment of the position of oneor more icons.

FIG. 3B is an illustration of one embodiment of a portable electronicdevice responsive to touch input for adjustment of the position of oneor more icons.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a portable electronicdevice.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of whichare illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detaileddescription, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will beapparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present inventionmay be practiced without these specific details. In other instances,well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not beendescribed in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of theembodiments.

Overview of the Interface Reconfiguration Mode

Attention is directed towards embodiments of portable electronicdevices, including portable communications devices, that have graphicaluser interfaces (GUIs). The portable devices include an interfacereconfiguration mode. In response to a user initiating the interfacereconfiguration mode, positions of one or more icons displayed on theportable device may be varied about respective average positions. Thevarying of the positions of the one or more icons may include animatingthe one or more icons to simulate floating of the one or more icons on asurface corresponding to a surface of a display in the portable device.The display may be a touch-sensitive display, which responds to physicalcontact by a stylus or one or more fingers at one or more contactpoints. While the following embodiments may be equally applied to othertypes of displays, a touch-sensitive display is used as an illustrativeexample.

The varying of the positions of the one or more icons may intuitivelyindicate to the user that the positions of the one or more icons may bereconfigured by the user. The user may modify, adapt and/or reconfigurethe positions of the one or more icons. In embodiments where theportable device includes a touch-sensitive display, the user may makecontact with the touch-sensitive display proximate to a respective iconat a first position. Upon making contact with the touch-sensitivedisplay, the respective icon may cease varying its position. The usermay drag the respective icon to a second position. Upon breaking contactwith the touch-sensitive display, the respective icon may resume varyingits position. In some embodiments, the respective icon can be “thrown,”so that the final position of the respective icon is different from thepoint at which the icon is released. In this embodiment, the finalposition can depend on a variety of factors, such as the speed of the“throw,” the parameters used in a simulated equation of motion for the“throw” (e.g., coefficient of friction), and/or the presence of a layout grid with simulated attractive forces. In some embodiments, thedisplay may include two regions. During the interface reconfigurationmode, positions of one or more icons displayed in the first region maybe varied while positions of one or more icons displayed in the secondregion may be stationary.

The user may similarly modify, adapt and/or reconfigure the positions ofadditional icons during the interface reconfiguration mode. When theuser has completed these changes (at least for the time being), he orshe may terminate the interface reconfiguration mode. In response tothis user action, the portable device may return to a normal mode ofoperation and the varying of the displayed positions of the one or moreicons will cease.

The user may initiate or terminate the interface reconfiguration processby selecting one or more appropriate physical buttons on the portabledevice, by a gesture (such as making contact and swiping one or morefingers across the touch-sensitive display or making contact and holdingfor more than a predefined time period) and/or by selecting one or moresoft buttons (such as one or more icons that are displayed on thetouch-sensitive display). As used herein, a gesture is a motion of theobject/appendage making contact with the touch screen display surface.In some embodiments, the interface reconfiguration process terminates apre-defined time after the interface reconfiguration process isinitiated, i.e., there is a time out.

The one or more icons displayed on the portable device may be graphicalobjects. In some embodiments, the one or more icons may be widgets,which are combinations of states and procedures that constituteon-screen representations of controls that may be manipulated by theuser, such as bars, buttons and text boxes. In an exemplary embodiment,the one or more icons correspond to application programs (email,browser, address book, etc.) that may be selected by the user bycontacting the touch-sensitive display proximate to an icon of interest.

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a position adjustmentprocess 100 for a portable electronic device. While the positionadjustment process 100 described below includes a number of operationsthat appear to occur in a specific order, it should be apparent that theprocess 100 can include more or fewer operations, which can be executedserially or in parallel (e.g., using parallel processors or amulti-threading environment), an order of two or more operations may bechanged and/or two or more operations may be combined into a singleoperation.

In the position adjustment process 100, a plurality of icons aredisplayed in a GUI in a touch-sensitive display (110). A firstpredefined user action that initiates an interface reconfigurationprocess is detected (112). Exemplary predefined user actions includeselecting a physical button on the portable device, making a predefinedgesture on the touch screen display surface, or selecting a soft button.Position(s) of one or more of the plurality of displayed icons arevaried (114). A point of contact with the touch-sensitive display at afirst position of a respective icon is detected (116). Movement of thepoint of contact to a second position is detected (118). Movement of therespective icon to the second position is displayed and the respectiveicon is displayed at the second position (120).

If a second predefined user action that terminates the interfacereconfiguration process is detected (122-yes), the position(s) of theone or more icons is fixed (124). Exemplary predefined user actionsinclude selecting or deselecting a physical button on the portabledevice, making another predefined gesture on the touch screen displaysurface, or selecting or deselecting a soft button. The fixedposition(s) may correspond to a respective average position(s) for theone or more icons. If a second pre-defined user action that terminatesthe interface reconfiguration process is not detected (122-no), theprocess may continue when a point of contact proximate to the same oranother icon is detected (116).

FIG. 2A is an illustration of one embodiment of a portable electronicdevice 200 responsive to touch input for adjustment of the position ofone or more icons. The portable electronic device 200 includes atouch-sensitive display with a GUI 210. The display surface istransparent to allow various graphical objects to be displayed to theuser (e.g., widgets). In some embodiments, the GUI 210 is divided intomultiple sections or windows. For example, a region 212 of GUI 210 mayinclude a tray 216 for holding icons or graphical objects 222representing functions that are frequently used by the user (e.g.,video, weather, schedule, game, music, etc.) and a tray 214 for holdingicons or graphical objects 220 representing functions that are used lessfrequently by the user (e.g., mail, address book, browser, etc.). TheGUI 210 may also include graphical objects corresponding to high-levelfunctions of the portable electronic device 200. For example, variousobjects and/or images may be presented and changed in GUI 210 bypressing a menu button 240. In embodiments that include a mobile phone,dedicated graphical objects can be presented in GUI 210 representingtraditional voice and data service operations (e.g., hold, clear, etc.).

The user may interact with the portable communications device 200 bymaking contact with the display surface with GUI 210 using a stylus, afinger 218 (not drawn to scale in FIG. 2) or more than one finger. Forexample, the user may make contact with the display surface at aposition of one of the icons 222 (direct contact), thereby activatingthe function or application program corresponding to that icon. In someembodiments, the icon 222 is activated when the user makes contact atthe position of the icon and then breaks contact (for example, a tappinggesture). In some embodiments, the contact with the display surface usedto activate the icon may not be at the position of the icon 222.Instead, contact may be proximate to the icon 222 (indirect contact).The latter technique is similar to “hot spots” used with Web pages andother computer user interfaces.

FIGS. 2B-D show the portable electronic device 200 during the interfacereconfiguration mode. After the interface reconfiguration mode isinitiated, the display of one or more of the icons 222 in the tray 216is modified from the previous stationary positions to time-varyingpositions. As noted previously, the display may include animating one ormore of the icons 222 to simulate floating of one or more of the icons222 on a surface corresponding to the display surface. For example, theanimated varying of the positions of one or more of the icons 222 duringthe interface reconfiguration mode may resemble that of a hockey puck inan air hockey game. The displayed position(s) of a respective icon inthe icons 222 may be varied in a region 224 centered on the averageposition of the respective icon.

While FIG. 2B-2D illustrates movement of one or more of the icons 222 inthe tray 216, in other embodiments positions of one or more of the icons220 in another region of GUI 210, such as tray 214, may be variedseparately or in addition to those of one or more of the icons 222 intray 216.

The time-varying position(s) of one or more of the icons 222 intuitivelyindicate to the user that the positions of one or more of the icons 222may be modified. This is illustrated in FIGS. 2C-D, which show theportable electronic device 200 during the interface reconfigurationmode. The user makes contact, either direct or indirect, with one of theicons that is moving at a position 226 and moves the point of contactacross the display surface with GUI 210. The contact and the motion aredetected by the portable electronic device 200. As a consequence, thedisplayed icon, in this example corresponding to a game, is movedaccordingly.

As shown in FIG. 2D, the user moves the game icon to position 228 andbreaks contact with the display surface. The game icon is now displayedat the position 228. While the displayed position of the game icon isshown as stationary in FIG. 2D, in some embodiments the position of thegame icon may be varied once the user breaks contact with the displaysurface. In some embodiments, only icons displayed in one or moresubsections of the GUI 210 are displayed with a varying position duringthe interface reconfiguration mode. Thus, if the game icon had beendragged to another position in the tray 222, it may be displayed with avarying position after the user breaks contact with the display. In someembodiments, the device may provide audio and/or tactile feedback whenan icon is moved to a new position, such as an audible chime and/or avibration.

FIG. 2D also illustrates the optional displacement of the browser iconto position 230. The browser icon was displaced from its initialposition 228 to its new position 230 due to at least partial overlapwith the game icon, i.e., when the portable electronic device 200determined that the user positioned the game icon over the browser icon,the displayed position of the browser icon was changed.

In other embodiments, an icon may be evicted or removed from the tray214 when an additional icon, such as the music icon, is added to thetray 214. For example, the tray 214 may be configured to accommodate afinite number of icons, such as 4 icons. If an additional icon is addedto the tray 214, a nearest icon to the additional icon or an icon thatat least partially overlaps the additional icon may be evicted orremoved from the tray 214. In some embodiments, the evicted icon floatsor zooms from its position in tray 214 to a new position in tray 216,where it may join a sorted list of icons. In some embodiments, if theeviction process is not completed (e.g., the additional icon is notadded to tray 214), the evicted icon may halt its progress towards itsnew position in tray 216 and return to its position in tray 214.

FIG. 2E illustrates the portable electronic device 200 after theinterface reconfiguration mode has been terminated or has terminated(due to a time out). The icons in GUI 210 have stationary positions. Thegame icon and the browser icon are displayed in their new positions inthe tray 214.

The animated effects during the interface reconfiguration mode, such asthe varying position(s) of one or more of the icons 222, may be inaccordance with corresponding equations of motion for one or more of theicons in a plane substantially coincident with the display surface withGUI 210. The equations of motion may have a coefficient of friction lessthan a threshold allowing the simulation and/or animation of floating orsliding of one or more of the icons. The equation of motion for therespective icon may have a non-zero initial velocity, a non-zero angularvelocity, and/or a restoring force about the respective average positionof the respective icon such that the position of the respective iconoscillates in the region 224 (FIG. 2D) substantially centered on therespective average position of the respective icon.

In some embodiments, the position of the respective icon may be variedduring the interface reconfiguration mode in such a way that therespective icon rotates about the respective average position of therespective icon while maintaining a fixed orientation with respect tothe GUI 210 and the portable electronic device 200. This is illustratedin FIGS. 3A and 3B, which show the portable electronic device 200 duringthe interface reconfiguration mode. In this example, the position of thevideo icon 222 in tray 216 is varied in such a way that it maintains afixed orientation in region 224. This may make it easier for the user todetermine the function of the respective icon during the interfacereconfiguration mode.

Portable Electronic Device Architecture

Attention is now directed towards embodiments of the portable electronicdevice architecture. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of one embodiment ofportable electronic device. A portable electronic device 400 generallyincludes one or more computer-readable mediums 402, a processing system404, an Input/Output (I/O) subsystem 406, radio frequency (RF) circuitry408 and audio circuitry 410. These components may be coupled by one ormore communication buses or signal lines 403. The device 400 can be anyportable electronic device, including but not limited to a handheldcomputer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a media player, personaldigital assistant (PDA) and the like, including a combination of two ormore of these items.

It should be apparent that the architecture shown in FIG. 4 is only oneexample of an architecture for the portable electronic device 400, andthat the device 400 could have more or fewer components than shown, or adifferent configuration of components. The various components shown inFIG. 4 can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination ofboth hardware and software, including one or more signal processingand/or application specific integrated circuits. The RF circuitry 408 isused to send and receive information over a wireless link or network toone or more other devices and includes well-known circuitry forperforming this function, including but not limited to an antennasystem, an RF transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or moreoscillators, a digital signal processor, a CODEC chipset, memory, etc.In some embodiments, the RF circuitry 408 is capable of establishing andmaintaining communications with other devices using one or morecommunications protocols, including but not limited to time divisionmultiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), globalsystem for mobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment(EDGE), wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), Wi-Fi (such asIEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and/or IEEE 802.11n),Bluetooth, Wi-MAX, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), a protocol foremail, instant messaging, and/or a short message service (SMS), or anyother suitable communication protocol, including communication protocolsnot yet developed as of the filing date of this document.

The RF circuitry 408 and the audio circuitry 410 are coupled to theprocessing system 404 via the peripherals interface 416. The interface416 includes various known components for establishing and maintainingcommunication between peripherals and the processing system 404. Theaudio circuitry 410 is coupled to an audio speaker 450 and a microphone452 and includes known circuitry for processing voice signals receivedfrom interface 416 to enable a user to communicate in real-time withother users. In some embodiments, the audio circuitry 410 includes aheadphone jack (not shown). Voice and data information received by theRF circuitry 408 and the audio circuitry 410 (e.g., in speechrecognition or voice command applications) is sent to one or moreprocessors 418 via the peripherals interface 416. The one or moreprocessors 418 are configurable to process various data formats for oneor more applications programs 430 stored on the medium 402.

Note that the term “data” includes but is not limited to text, graphics,Web pages, JAVA applets, widgets, emails, instant messages, voice,digital images or video, widgets, MP3s, etc., which can be used by oneor more applications programs 430 stored on the medium 402 (e.g., Webbrowser, email, etc.). In some embodiments, the device 400 is capable ofuploading and downloading various data from the Internet over a wirelessnetwork or an external port 436, such as files, songs, digital images,videos, emails, widgets, instant messages and the like.

The peripherals interface 416 couples the input and output peripheralsof the device to the processor 418 and the computer-readable medium 402.The one or more processors 418 communicate with the one or morecomputer-readable mediums 402 via a controller 420. Thecomputer-readable medium 402 can be any device or medium that can storecode and/or data for use by the one or more processors 418. The medium402 can include a memory hierarchy, including but not limited to cache,main memory and secondary memory. The memory hierarchy can beimplemented using any combination of RAM (e.g., SRAM, DRAM, DDRAM), ROM,FLASH, magnetic and/or optical storage devices, such as disk drives,magnetic tape, CDs (compact disks) and DVDs (digital video discs). Themedium 402 may also include a transmission medium for carryinginformation-bearing signals indicative of computer instructions or data(with or without a carrier wave upon which the signals are modulated).For example, the transmission medium may include a communicationsnetwork, including but not limited to the Internet (also referred to asthe World Wide Web), intranet(s), Local Area Networks (LANs), Wide LocalArea Networks (WLANs), Storage Area Networks (SANs), Metropolitan AreaNetworks (MAN) and the like.

The one or more processors 418 run various software components stored inthe medium 402 to perform various functions for the device 400. In someembodiments, the software components include an operating system 422, acommunication module (or set of instructions) 424, a contact/motionmodule (or set of instructions) 426, a graphics module (or set ofinstructions) 428, one or more applications (or set of instructions)430, a timer module (or set of instructions) 438 and a reconfigurationmodule (or set of instructions) 440.

The operating system 422 (e.g., Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X,WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks) includesvarious procedures, sets of instructions, software components and/ordrivers for controlling and managing general system tasks (e.g., memorymanagement, storage device control, power management, etc.) andfacilitates communication between various hardware and softwarecomponents.

The communication module 424 facilitates communication with otherdevices over one or more external ports 436 or via RF circuitry 408 andincludes various software components for handling data received from theRF circuitry 408 and/or the external port 436. The external port 436(e.g., USB, FireWire™, etc.) is adapted for coupling directly to otherdevices or indirectly over a network (e.g., the Internet, wireless LAN,etc.).

The graphics module 428 includes various known software components forrendering, animating and displaying graphical objects on a displaysurface of a touch-sensitive display system 412. Note that the term“graphical object” includes any object that can be displayed to a user,including without limitation text, web pages, icons, digital images,animations and the like.

The one or more applications 430 can include any applications installedon the device 400, including without limitation, a browser, addressbook, contact list, email, instant messaging, word processing, keyboardemulation, widgets, JAVA-enabled applications, encryption, digitalrights management, voice recognition, voice replication, locationdetermination capability (such as that provided by the globalpositioning system (GPS)), a music player (which plays back recordedmusic stored in one or more files, such as MP3 or AAC files), etc.

In some embodiments, the device 400 may include the functionality of anMP3 player, such as an iPod (trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.). Thedevice 400 may, therefore, include a 36-pin connector that is compatiblewith the iPod. In some embodiments, the device 400 may include one ormore optional optical sensors (not shown), such as CMOS or CCD imagesensors, for use in imaging applications.

The contact/motion module 426 includes various software components forperforming various tasks associated with the touch-sensitive displaysystem 412, as previously described with respect to the embodiments inFIGS. 1-3.

The timer module 438 is a software timer used with the interfacereconfiguration process 100 (FIG. 1). The timer module 438 can also beimplemented in hardware.

The reconfiguration module 440 may include an icon effects module (or aset of instructions) 442. The icon effects module 442 may includeanimation for the icons during the interface reconfiguration mode. Insome embodiments, the icon effects module 442 may be included in thegraphics module 428.

The I/O subsystem 406 is coupled to the touch-sensitive display system412 and one or more other physical control devices 414 (e.g.,pushbuttons, switches, dials, LEDs, etc.) for controlling or performingvarious functions, such as power control, speaker volume control, ringtone loudness, keyboard input, scrolling, hold, menu, screen lock,clearing and ending communications and the like. The touch-sensitivedisplay 412 communicates with the processing system 404 via the touchsensitive screen controller 432, which includes various components forprocessing user input (e.g., scanning hardware). The one or more otherinput controllers 434 receives/sends electrical signals from/to theother input or control devices 414. The other input/control devices 414may include physical buttons (e.g., push buttons, rocker buttons, etc.),dials, slider switches, sticks, and so forth.

The touch-sensitive display 412 displays visual output to the user in aGUI. The visual output may include text, graphics, video, and anycombination thereof. Some or all of the visual output may correspond touser-interface objects. The touch-sensitive display 412 may also acceptinput from the user based on haptic and/or tactile contact. Thetouch-sensitive display 412 forms a touch-sensitive surface that acceptsuser input. The touch-sensitive display 412 and the touch screencontroller 432 (along with any associated modules and/or sets ofinstructions in the medium 402) detects contact (and any movement orrelease of the contact) on the touch-sensitive display 412 and convertsthe detected contact into interaction with user-interface objects, suchas one or more soft keys, that are displayed on the touch screen whenthe contact occurs. In an exemplary embodiment, a point of contactbetween the touch-sensitive display 412 and the user corresponds to oneor more digits of the user. The touch-sensitive display 412 may use LCD(liquid crystal display) technology, or LPD (light emitting polymerdisplay) technology, although other display technologies may be used inother embodiments. The touch-sensitive display 412 and touch screencontroller 432 may detect contact and any movement or release thereofusing any of a plurality of touch sensitivity technologies, includingbut not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acousticwave technologies, as well as other proximity sensor arrays or otherelements for determining one or more points of contact with thetouch-sensitive display 412.

The touch-sensitive display may be analogous to the multi-touchsensitive tablets described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,323,846(Westerman et al.), 6,570,557 (Westerman et al.), and/or 6,677,932(Westerman), and/or U.S. Patent Publication 2002/0015024A1, each ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference. However, the touch screen 126displays visual output from the portable device, whereas touch sensitivetablets do not provide visual output. The touch-sensitive display 412may have a resolution in excess of 100 dpi. In an exemplary embodiment,the touch-sensitive display 412 may have a resolution of approximately168 dpi. The user may make contact with the touch-sensitive display 412using any suitable object or appendage, such as a stylus, pen, finger,and so forth.

In some embodiments, in addition to the touch screen, the device 400 mayinclude a touchpad (not shown) for activating or deactivating particularfunctions. In some embodiments, the touchpad is a touch-sensitive areaof the device that, unlike the touch screen, does not display visualoutput. The touchpad may be a touch-sensitive surface that is separatefrom the touch-sensitive display 412 or an extension of thetouch-sensitive surface formed by the touch-sensitive display 412.

The device 400 also includes a power system 444 for powering the varioushardware components. The power system 444 can include a power managementsystem, one or more power sources (e.g., battery, alternating current(AC)), a recharging system, a power failure detection circuit, a powerconverter or inverter, a power status indicator (e.g., a light emittingdiode (LED)) and any other components typically associated with thegeneration, management and distribution of power in portable devices.

In some embodiments, the peripherals interface 416, the one or moreprocessors 418, and the memory controller 420 may be implemented on asingle chip, such as the processing system 404. In some otherembodiments, they may be implemented on separate chips.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the presentinvention are presented for purposes of illustration and description.They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to theprecise forms disclosed. Rather, it should be appreciated that manymodifications and variations are possible in view of the aboveteachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to bestexplain the principles of the invention and its practical applications,to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize theinvention and various embodiments with various modifications as aresuited to the particular use contemplated.

1. A method, comprising: displaying a first plurality of icons in afirst region in a touch-sensitive display; detecting a first predefineduser action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, for initiatinga predefined user interface reconfiguration process; and varyingpositions of multiple icons of the first plurality of icons in responseto detecting the first predefined user action, wherein the varyingincludes varying the positions of each icon of the multiple icons abouta respective average position distinct from the respective averagepositions of other icons of the multiple icons, and wherein eachrespective icon oscillates in a region substantially centered on therespective average position of the respective icon.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the varying includes animating the multiple icons tosimulate floating of the multiple icons on a surface corresponding to asurface of the touch-sensitive display.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the varying position of a respective icon in the multiple iconscorresponds to an equation of motion in a plane substantially coincidentwith the touch-sensitive display, the equation of motion having acoefficient of friction less than a threshold.
 4. The method of claim 3,wherein the equation of motion for the respective icon has a non-zeroinitial velocity.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the equation ofmotion for the respective icon has a restoring force about therespective average position of the respective icon such that theposition of the respective icon oscillates in a region substantiallycentered on the respective average position of the respective icon. 6.The method of claim 3, wherein the equation of motion for the respectiveicon includes a non-zero angular velocity.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein the respective icon rotates about the respective averageposition of the respective icon while maintaining a fixed orientationwith respect to the touch-sensitive display.
 8. The method of claim 1,further comprising detecting a user making a point of contact with thetouch-sensitive display at a first position corresponding to a firsticon in the multiple icons and detecting movement of the point ofcontact to a second position on the touch-sensitive display; andresponding to detecting the point of contact and detecting movement ofthe point of contact by displaying movement of the first icon to thesecond position on the touch-sensitive display and displaying the firsticon at the second position.
 9. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising fixing a position of the first icon at the second position inresponse to detecting a second predefined user action, with respect tothe touch-sensitive display, for terminating the predefined userinterface reconfiguring process.
 10. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising moving a second icon in the multiple icons from a respectiveinitial position to a respective new position when the second positionof the first icon at least partially overlaps with the respectiveinitial position of the second icon.
 11. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising detecting a user making a first point of contact with thetouch-sensitive display at a first position corresponding to a firsticon in the multiple icons and detecting movement of the first point ofcontact to a second position in a second region on the touch-sensitivedisplay; and responding to detecting the first point of contact anddetecting movement of the first point of contact by displaying movementof the first icon to the second position of the touch-sensitive displayand displaying the first icon at the second position.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising detecting a user making a second point ofcontact with the touch-sensitive display at a third positioncorresponding to a second icon in a second plurality of icons in thesecond region on the touch-sensitive display and detecting movement ofthe second point of contact to a fourth position in the first region onthe touch-sensitive display; and responding to detecting the secondpoint of contact and detecting movement of the second point of contactby displaying movement of the second icon to the fourth position of thetouch-sensitive display and displaying the second icon at the fourthposition.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising fixing aposition of the first icon at the second position and a position of thesecond icon at the fourth position in response to detecting a secondpredefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, forterminating the predefined user interface reconfiguration process. 14.The method of claim 12, further comprising moving a third icon in thesecond plurality of icons from a respective initial position to arespective new position when the new position of the first icon at leastpartially overlaps with the respective initial position of the thirdicon.
 15. A portable wireless electronic device, comprising: atouch-sensitive display; one or more processors; memory; and a program,wherein the program is stored in the memory and configured to beexecuted by the one or more processors, the program including:instructions for displaying a first plurality of icons in a first regionon a touch-sensitive display; instructions for detecting a firstpredefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, forinitiating a predefined user interface reconfiguring process; andinstructions for varying positions of multiple icons of the firstplurality of icons in response to detecting the first predefined useraction, wherein the varying includes varying the positions of each iconof the multiple icons about a respective average position distinct fromthe respective average positions of other icons of the multiple icons,and wherein each respective icon oscillates in a region substantiallycentered on the respective average position of the respective icon. 16.A portable wireless electronic device, comprising: a touch-sensitivedisplay; means for displaying a first plurality of icons in a firstregion on a touch-sensitive display; means for detecting a firstpredefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, forinitiating a predefined user interface reconfiguring process; and meansfor varying positions of multiple icons of the first plurality of iconsin response to detecting the first predefined user action, wherein thevarying includes varying the positions of each icon of the multipleicons about a respective average position distinct from the respectiveaverage positions of other icons of the multiple icons, and wherein eachrespective icon oscillates in a region substantially centered on therespective average position of the respective icon.